Redirected: Isolating at home when you have COVID-19

Do not go to work. Do not leave your home unless you are getting healthcare. Do not allow visitors into your home, unless they are coming to care for you.

Rest and drink plenty of fluids. If you have COVID-19, staying well hydrated may help prevent dangerous blood clots.

You may take acetaminophen (like Tylenol) to reduce fever and pain. Do not give any medicines to children under 2 without first checking with a doctor. 

You may be eligible for treatment if you are:

• 65 or over
• Under age 65 and at high risk for a serious illness if you contract COVID-19 (example: people with cancer, diabetes, heart, kidney, liver or lung disease)
• Immunocompromised
• Unvaccinated
• Not completely vaccinated
• Pregnant

Find out more about treatment

Limit contact with people you live with

Stay in your own room, if you can. Wear a face covering, or have others wear a face covering around you.

Open windows and doors if it's safe to do so. The virus builds up indoors, so you’ll want to bring in as much fresh air as possible.

Use a separate bathroom, if you can. If you share a bathroom:

1. Turn on fans that pull air out of the bathroom.
2. Open windows.
3. Wear a face covering.
4. Flush the toilet with the lid closed. 
5. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
6. Wipe down anything you touched with a disinfectant.

Do not prepare or serve food to others. Keep your own set of utensils, plates, towels, bedding, or other household items. Do not share them.

Limit your contact with pets.

Follow personal hygiene and cleaning tips for staying healthy during the coronavirus pandemic.

You can ask friends or loved ones to help

If people ask if they can help, they can:

• Leave food and drinks at your door
• Get you medicine to relieve symptoms
• Help care for children, parents, or other dependents
• Help care for your pets

If friends and family come to help, remind them to wear a face covering and wash their hands.

You may be eligible for treatment if you are:

• 65 or over
• Under age 65 and at high risk for a serious illness if you contract COVID-19 (example: people with cancer, diabetes, heart, kidney, liver or lung disease)
• Immunocompromised
• Unvaccinated
• Not completely vaccinated
• Pregnant

Remember who was physically close to you

Try to remember who you had close contact with in the 48 hours before you took your COVID-19 test. They must quarantine themselves at their home. 

Close contacts include anyone who:

• Lives with you or stayed overnight with you
• You were physically intimate with, including only kissing or sex
• Takes care of you 
• You take care of
• Stayed within 6 feet of you for 15 minutes or more over the course of a day
• Had direct contact with your body fluids, including coughs or sneezes

A Public Health worker will contact you

If you test positive, we will contact you. You will be texted from “CA COVID Team”, to use a chatbot on caconnected.cdph.ca.gov to help you with next steps.

A trained Public Health worker may also call or text from 628-217-6101 or 628-217-6102. 

We will never ask for your social security number, financial information, or your immigration status.

We will ask about your close contacts. We can then reach out to everyone who might have been exposed.

When you can stop your isolation

You can stop your isolation when all of the following are true: 

• Your temperature has gone under 100.4° Fahrenheit (38.0° Celsius) for the past 24 hours, without medicine like acetaminophen
• Your symptoms have gotten better
• It’s been at least 10 days after your first symptoms

Your doctor may tell you to isolate at home for longer, depending on your health history.

If you test positive but don’t feel sick, stay home for at least 10 days after you took your test.

You do not need to have a negative COVID-19 test to go back to work. You can show your employer the signed letter about not needing a negative test, from San Francisco’s Health Officer.